Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-23
THE SILK MEETING.

The lecture and exhibition of silk reeling
given last evening at the court house by
Prof. Homer, late of the state silk station,
was fairly attended. but not so well as the
occasion merited. Prof Abbott occupied
the chair. Prof Homer gave a very inter
esting talk on silk culture and interspersed
his remarks with some exhibitions of reel
ing the silk from Kansas grown cocoons.
The specimens on exhibition were raised
in different parts of the state, but some
cocoons raised by Mrs Craig, of this city,
from worms of the Italian variety, were
the best shown by Prof. Horner. Some
skeins of silk reeled during the Kansas
City exposition were stated by the
lecturer to be, in his estimation,
without equal in quality in the world.
The specimens of raw silk, and some in a
manufactured form, on exhibition attrac
ted a great deal Of attention. and the en-
thusiasm Of the audience was aroused as
the lecturer, in an interesting manner,
demonstrated and explained the different
processes through which the silk passed
from the cocoon TO the manufactured ar
ticle.
The main object Of the meeting, how
ever, was to impress upon the people the
necessity of securing from Belding Bros.
&c CO., the great silk manufacturers, some
valuable skeins which were sold to
them by the State Silk station.
These specimens consist of some skeins of
the finest silk that has ever been made and
should he in the hands of Prof. Horner for
the purpose of showing to the people of
Kansas and the country at large who are
interested in silk culture what the best
Kansas silk really is Bedding Bros. & Co.
are anxious that Prof. Homer should have
these specimens, but will not part with
them unless their price is paid.
The ladies who were present last night
We're all very favorably impressed with the
workings of the culture OF silk, and
Prof Horner will probably arouse "a
lively interest in this wonderful and paying
industry among the people of Wichita be
fore he leaves the city. The object in get
ting this silk is to work it up into the va
rious shapes and manners of which it is
susceptible in order to demonstrate to con-
gress the commercial advantages and pos
sibilities of silk culture in the United
States, and to induce the government TO
establish here silk station to perfect the
industry, just as they did with the sugar
from northern cane.
The lecturer showed how the product can
be easily and profitably grown in Kansas,
and pointed out the advantages of develop
ing the cultivation of silk and the estab-
lishment of silk factories here in Wichita
giving support to hundreds of employ
ees and placing IN the hands
of the silk raiser5 millions of
dollars annually which .are now paid for
raw silk raised in foreign countries and
imported duty free.
1t is highly probable that committees
will at once begin the work of raising the
amount necessary to start the work in this
city, only COO. AS it is so small in COM
parison to the benefits to be derived, those
present were of the opinion that it would
be no difficulty in inducing our citizens to
give literally aud secure the enterprise in
dictated. Several present each expressed
Willingness to be one of a hundred to raise
the amount desired.
The following resolutions were unani-
mously adopted:
Whereas, The silk industry of the state
of Kansas and of the United States is at
this time engaging the attention of the
entire country, and
Whereas, The importance of this in
dustTy has to large extent been intro
duced mainly through the efforts of Prof
l. Horner during the past five years, in
this state, and
Whereas, He was instrumental in en-
gaging the attention of our legislature
last winter and securing an appropriation
of several thousand dollars for the estab-
lishment of silk station in this state,
and
Whereas, The question has become
National one, and in the establishment of
this industry in the United States. Kan
sas, as in all other things leads all others
in the successful introduction of silk
culture in the short period OF its inception.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That we favor aiding Prof
Horner in his effort to obtain from CON
gress bounty for developing period on
all classic raw silk produced in the United
States and an appropriation to establish
National silk station in Wichita as
nucleus around which may be developed
a central figure in the silk industry Of the
country.